Satisfaction, by Andee Reilly

Contemporary
AdultGinny Martin is 22 years old and looking for herself after she discovers her husband is having an affair. A longtime Rolling Stones fan, she buys single tickets for their North American tour and hits the road, starting in California. Along the way she meets Bree, a thirty-something waiting tables instead of caring for her teenaged daughter and her ageing mother. Bree is a wild child who flirts her way backstage and hasn’t paid for a concert ticket in years. Together they embark on the road trip of a lifetime. So let me first say I am not particularly familiar with Stones’ songs. I missed a lot the first read-through, not understanding the use of song titles like “Waiting on a Friend,” “Gimme Shelter,” or “Paint It Black.” (Told you I’m not a fan.)
This is Reilly’s first novel, and I found myself struggling with her characterization, especially their ages. Ginny is portrayed as practically middle-aged, a frumpy dresser who regrets her lost opportunities, wishing she’d gone to school, and feeling like she’d missed her life, wondering if she should just settle for the loser husband she married. Bree is in her early 30s, lamenting the lines around her eyes and mouth, realizing she can no longer rely on her looks. For pity’s sake, Ms. Reilly, you are out by a couple of decades on each. I was also totally creeped out by Ginny’s sexual fantasies involving Mick Jagger. Look past these issues, and readers will find an occasionally predictable but overall enjoyable road trip novel about friendship, love, and finding your own feet. A good selection for new adults, but unlikely to appeal to younger readers, and potentially annoying to those of us who are (horrors!) 50 and don’t feel like we’re past our prime! My thanks to NetGalley for the advance e-galley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25716090

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About Michelle MalletteI'm just trying to keep track of the books I've read - what I liked and what isn't worth re-reading. My work as a librarian has included youth services so you'll find a wide range of interests from picture books and teen dystopia to adult sci-fi, road trip novels, and nonfiction. Comments and communication is always welcome.